“How are you doing?” he asked as he handed her the cup of tea and plate of snacks he got for them from the kitchen.
“Thank you, I am doing fine” she smiled shyly and took one of the samosas in her mouth.
She had just gotten out of a call with Sofia where she explained how the vacation was going but couldn’t get past the teasing Sofia threw her way when she told her he was being really nice and considerate about what he said to her.
She told her he shared some of his life as he grew up with her but didn’t give details of what he said to her to Sofia.
“It’s your thing”
She remembered Sofia saying to her and telling her it was nice that he is warming up to her and the fact that he claimed that he likes her was a good thing.
She didn’t really want to talk in detail about everything but just assured her that she was having a great time with him here in Madrid.
He sat in front of her in the dining and watched her eat the snack and flush under his gaze. It brought a smile to his lips and he took one of the samosas and munched on it too.
“I like this place better than the hotel” she spoke after a while.
“If you want we could just move our things right here and spend the rest of our vacation here,” he told her and her eyes lit up in excitement.
“Really?”
“Yeah, I don’t mind since you are up for it”
“Thank you,” she told him and finished the first juice box she opened minutes ago.
It was almost morning and they woke up at almost the same time feeling a bit tired but very hungry so he offered that they go eat some snacks till when they would go back to the hotel and get some real food since he didn’t have any stocked here.
He let her wear one of his old clothes that were there since they didn’t bring in any extra clothes from the hotel while he wore just his shorts from yesterday with a pair of socks.
“When the day is brighter, I will go fetch our clothes and check us out then bring in some groceries on my way and probably make my famous yet favorite dish” he winked and she giggled.
“What is it?” she asked and he shook his head.
“It’s a surprise,” he told her and she shrugged.
“It’s a surprise you can cook,” she said and bite back the laugh that wanted to burst out of her lips when he made a face prior to her comment.
“Oh please, I know women cook, but I can tell you with full confidence that I cook better,” he told her looking so proud and she shook her head at him.
“Okay, we will wait and see Señor,” she said trying to imitate a Spanish accent.
He chuckled at her attempt and finished his second juice box before placing it back on the tray.
“You did well Señorita,” he said deeply and she couldn’t deny hearing how thick his accent sounded when those words rolled out of his mouth.
Not wanting to dwell in it she stood up and stretched then went to sit on the sofa while he took the tray back to the kitchen before joining her in the living room.
“Hey, stand,” he told her as he held his hand out for her to take.
She looked at his outstretched hand to his face then back to his hand before taking his hand and he pulled her so she was on her feet while he sat on the sofa.
His back was leaning on one arm of the sofa with his left leg dangling from the other arm of the sofa and his right leg on the floor.
She frowned a bit and was going to protest when he held her hand and tugged her to lay on him. She let her body side lay on him with her both legs resting on his right leg and the side of her head on his chest while his arms went around her to adjust them properly.
“Comfy much?” he asked and she nod her head.
“How about you?” she asked and he hummed in response.
They stayed like that for a moment before he spoke up.
“Are you comfortable this way? If you arent we could go lay on the bed instead” he asked and she shook her head,
“I am comfortable, I am just worried about you since you are my human-sized pillow here. You wouldn’t feel any sort of pain after?” she asked and he chuckled a bit.
“I can see myself becoming your future human-sized pillow already” he commented and she felt her cheeks warm at what he said.
He was going to stay nice and not run his mouth to at her again. Impressive much.
“I think I like this side of you”
“Then I will stay like this” he responded and her heart felt full from what he said to her.
She just hoped he was genuinely saying these things to her and not saying it because they suddenly became cozy with each other.
He stroked her golden hair that was let loose as a smile of contentment displayed on his lips. He was being real and opened to her like he hasn’t been in years and all was because of her.
He could feel his heart swell by how close they had become after opening up and sharing a moment he would cherish for the rest of his life.
It felt good to actually let go of those things and accept that he had started to like again without feeling like it wasn’t in his destiny to do so again. Then he confesses to liking her made him feel so happy and great.
Although she didn’t say it back with how she responded to him he knew she felt something for him too.
Maybe he would have let his heart open and free to love again all those years and… no.
If he had opened again, he wasn’t sure he would have met her… again. Even though it took lots of admiration, taking secret photos of her whilst she slept, bad complements to remind himself that he isn’t deserving of love or affection, and trying so hard to ignore her and make her seem stupid, he has finally come to a conclusion.
He wasn’t yet sure about the love thing because it is sort of new to him but he was very much aware that he likes her a lot and would want them to be stuck together for a really long time.
That was why he hinted it to her on their way here. She is great company but he didn’t want to admit it at all not until he got to know her properly from her lips.
He had done a few checkups on her while he ignored her and would admire her photos when he gave her cold shoulders and thought he could fight it off but that wasn’t the case seeing as he wanted nothing but to see her smile and happy.
Because her smile brings one to his lips, her cheerfulness lightens his mood and her niceness makes him want to drop his mean acts and go back to the old Dimitri.
Not the rebellious old Dimitri, but the sweet Dimitri who selflessly loved one woman, in particular, many years ago.
‘Life has its way of breaking us… making us feel like we aren’t worthy of anything good or making us feel like we don’t deserve to be happy or… I don’t know but it does have its way of throwing us off our feet and making us think we can never get up’
Her words from earlier went through his mind and he let out a deep breath then looked down at her head then wondered if she was already sleeping or not before relaxing back on the sofa armrest.
She was right, that is how life can be to humans… regardless of your personality, status, or whatever… that is life for you and you can stop it from dealing roughly with you, all you need to learn to be kind to yourself and give yourself room to heal properly.
But he wasn’t sure if he could get over Pricilia… she was… he couldn’t even if he wanted to. It was too much for him to handle and no one knew about her aside from him and his ex.
That is something he needed to talk to her about. Something he had avoided talking about but has to tell her all of it and how to hurt he still is from all that happened then.
If he wanted to start new with her and make sure he is free from the burden he has been carrying all these years, he needed to let it go and talk to her about it.
Let her know about it. It would be best she knew about his relations with Daniella before she finds out from someone else.
But now, he needed them to enjoy this vacation to the fullest and relax. He was sure Daniella got the message when she saw that he is now a married man and wouldn’t pull any of her crazy stunts on them.
He leaned in to place a kiss on her hair when he heard soft snores.
“Un ángel tan pacífico durmiendo” he muttered with a smile on his lips before closing his eyes too.
She was peace and peace he needed.
***
Un ángel tan pacífico durmiendo – Such a peaceful angel sleeping.